November 12, 2017 - November 18, 2017

11/16/2017

Chinese audiences are craving more then Hollywood is offering them; although at one time the Chinese film market meant more to Hollywood then even the American market it seems this is changing faster then Hollywood would have wanted. Not say Hollywood was not preparing for this change as a 2016 article by the LA Times reported "Over the last six years, the top 25 films in China by revenue have usually included eight to 10 foreign films." This report was in response to the growing number of popular domestic films in China being more satisfying to Chinese audiences, and the summer of 2017 proved to Hollywood that blockbusters are not the big time money makers in China that they once were.

Vivienne Chow of Variety reported that "foreign films from outside Hollywood have proven to be popular in China over the past year". When you couple this finding with the huge response in China to Chinese made films like Wolf Warrior II it is no real surprise that China's love affair with Hollywood is seemingly ending. "Seemingly" because big time Hollywood films are still making money for example as Thor Ragnarok made over 56 million dollars opening weekend in China according to Box Office Mojo. Despite this most Hollywood films are under performing in China.

China is taking big steps to prove to Hollywood that they are not cash cows anymore by halting deals with Hollywood studios, as CNBC reported "A $1 billion, three-year deal by Chinese firms Huahua Media and Shanghai Film Group with Paramount Pictures was intended to help the studio finance films and get released and marketed in China, but has stalled".The deals stalled by China dealt with the distribution of Hollywood films in China meaning many big studio films like Baywatch were not distributed in China meaning studios lost out on a possible big money opportunity.

Head of the China task force of the Producers Guild of America Elizabeth Dell was quoted in an interview saying "China absolutely wants to have its own home-grown film business". This year China has taking a huge leap to make that happen; stalling the release of Hollywood films in China allows for smaller Chinese produced movies like The Mermaid to do extremely well at the Chinese box office. And with the Chinese film market growing so quickly it appears as if Hollywood is no longer needed to provided entertainment to Chinese audiences.

Chinese audiences are finally showing the foreign film markets that they want more, and the bad thing for foreign markets is the Chinese film studios are stepping up. Like everyone in the rest of the world Chinese audiences want to be represented in film and the best way they can see that is not watching Matt Damon fighting monsters but instead see themselves represented, and who better than Chinese studios to bring audiences those movies. And with China's censorship laws it is easier for Chinese filmmakers to make movies that pass the censors then foreign studios. All these things show that in sometime China will no longer be relying on foreign films for entertainment.

Global Media News is a weekly webcast covering media news from around the world. GMN is a production of Media Studies students from the SUNY College @ Old Westbury. We scour the web for news about media, journalism and technology.

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11/15/2017

Once viewed as a waste of time and money for youths, video games have evolved in both their complexity, and their place in society. What was once viewed as a thing losers did alone in their basements is now the source of a multi-billion dollar industry. From the huge tournaments that draw thousands, to letsplay channels on YouTube such as Achievement Hunter and Game Grumps, professional gaming has become not only a real option, but a relatively viable one. No country has adapted to this new alternative for sports quite like South Korea has. Not only do the South Koreans develop a large number of the games played in professional gaming (such as StarCraft), but their teams tend to have the highest success rates in tournaments.

The gaming industry is a force to be reckoned with in South Korea these days. A report by The Star details a report about the predicted revenue for PC and mobile game sales by Com2uS (the largest mobile/online game production company in South Korea) in Southeast Asia this year, a figure of 4.4 billion US dollars. In particular, "games intended for use at professional-level competitive tournaments are expected to push increases in South-East Asian revenue." Meaning, esports are pushing the industry to new heights, leading to a whole new division of the market in terms of for what purpose the games are produced for.

One of the fastest growing esports games of the last decade has been Overwatch, a highly competitive multiplayer game that pits teams of six against each other to fight over objectives. The game, a Blizzard title, launched in May of 2016 and immediately became a hit, with millions of players spread across three consoles. It quickly became a heavily supported esport worldwide, with South Korea instantly instituting themselves as the team to beat. The 2017 Overwatch World Cup just wrapped at BlizzCon in Anaheim, and for the second year in a row, the South Korean team emerged victorious, defeating the Canadian team 3-1. In the coverage by HeroesNeverDie (an Overwatch fan-run site), South Korea's streak of destruction through the brackets is described in depth. They breezed through their matches to the finals, where they defeated Canada once again.

This kind of domination by South Korea is not uncommon in esports; in fact, it's the norm. That's because of South Korea's perception of gaming. An October 2014 piece for the New York Times by Paul Mozur shows just how embraced video games are in South Korea. In the way that the names of athletes are household names in many American homes, esport champions are the equivalent here. Going to see a video game competition in South Korea is just as common as a couple going to the movies, and professionally-run leagues are the national pastime for many. At the time, Overwatch had not yet been released, so the dominant esport in South Korea was (and still is, in a slightly smaller capacity) League of Legends, the online MOBA game notorious for both its negative and positive qualities. Since then, the small video game clubs are now stadiums filled with thousands of people, all to watch a bunch of people sit at computers and play video games. This is slowly catching on in the United States and other parts of the world, but nowhere else is gaming such an integral part of the nation's society, enough to make an economic impact.

11/14/2017

Social media has often leaped up during times of catastrophe by raising the voices of those who are in distress. It has become way more than just a way for individuals to interact online, but a way to spread news and information. In today's world, natural disasters have been occurring at an increasing rate. One natural disaster that social media has played a role in is the Mexico earthquake that occurred in September 2017.

Let us first begin by discussing the earthquake that took place in Mexico. According to Tom Wilmer of KCBX Central Coast Public Radio, "the September 19, 2017 magnitude 7.1 earthquake centered near Puebla, Mexico left more than 4,500 people injured and more than 220 dead in Mexico City alone." According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was 2.8 miles east-northeast of San Juan Raboso and 34.1 miles south-southwest of the city of Puebla, in Puebla state. Furthermore, according to Mexico News Daily, "a Mexico News Daily reporter in Oaxaca city described the quake as intense, while another reporter located in Mexico City reported it was much stronger than the September 7 event." The natural disaster left what is seen as the most lively city in Mexico in complete disarray, "windows buckled and shattered, falling several stories to the ground while thousands of people streamed into the streets running away from buildings and potential gas leaks." Additionally, among the victims, a significant number were children. According to Nicole Chavez of CNN, "President Enrique Peña Nieto said 22 bodies were found in the debris of an elementary school in Mexico City that collapsed due to the earthquake. At least 30 children were still missing Tuesday night, he said."

Furthermore, many citizens have been blaming the government for the effects of the earthquake claiming that the corruption was responsible for the deaths and collapsed buildings. "Many of the 38 buildings in Mexico City that collapsed did so due to shoddy construction practices and corrupt building inspectors according to local activists," according to Wilmer. There has been an ongoing mistrust between the people and the local and government officials and leaders. For instance, one citizen of Juchitan, Mexico, Concepción Rueda Gomes, had been collecting food and supplies since the previous earthquake that had occurred in her hometown, however, when it came time to hand out the aid she sought out private agencies for help. According to Paulina Villegas of The New York Times, Ms. Rueda stated, “There was no way I was going to give away the help we raised to some local official or leader so he can just hand them out to his friends and family." So, we see how there is a mistrust between the Mexican government and its people, and at times of disaster, individuals turn to other, non-governmental means to seek help and raise their voice when in distress. Additionally, another means they have turned to is social media.

(Photograph according to Nicole Chavez, CNN) (Photographed by Brett Gundlock for The New York Times)

Throughout this ongoing natural disaster, social media has and continues to play a significant role. Mexican citizens have been angered by their president, Enrique Peña Niet, and his approval rating is at merely 17 percent since he took office in December 2012. Thus, they were inclined to turn away from official leaders for aid and sought to gain help through social media. According to Maya Averbuch of Wired, "Suspicion of the authorities was high. Even before the army, the navy, the police, and the civil protection unit mobilized, volunteers, had started creating informal brigades through WhatsApp, recruiting others to move rubble." Through social media, Mexico City residents volunteer to facilitate rescue teams and donate food and supplies to victims. The goal is "to connect one with the other so citizens who want to help know where to go and to direct them to where the help is most needed," according to Gisela Perez de Acha.

Twitter is one platform which has been highly used throughout the crisis. @ProjectPaz and KOOL A.D are examples of Twitter pages dedicated to helping the earthquake relief. Additionally, Sergio Beltran, a member of the WhatsApp group made up of lawyers, journalists, and activists, and others who met during the Yo Soy 132 movement, states, "I decided to create a map on Google Maps," he says, "with a layer showing the locations of all the collection centres and damaged buildings." Beltran aspired for people to use the map to easily find the places where donations or volunteers were needed the most, and additionally, hazardous areas to avoid. The following is an image of the map he created:

So, we see residents have using social media to spread information about the earthquake's aftermath. However, some of the information in regards to the earthquake and the relief is false and misguided. According to Madeleine Wattenbarger of Pacific Standard, "some used social media to coordinate the vast swaths of volunteers who turned out immediately after the quake. Others propagated rumors that stoked panic." Misinformation extended so much that the city government issued a warning against spreading non-corroborated information. Furthermore, Melissa Martinez Larrea, a professor of migration at Universidad Anahuac felt she had the appropriate skills to take on the problem of misinformation, "she could communicate, coordinate a team, and verify information." Thus, she created the Twitter account @JuntosSismoCDMX. Additionally, according to Ben Barber of Huffington Post, "Fake news had already gotten attention following the earthquake. Rumors that children were trapped inside a collapsed school in Mexico City led to a week-long search that found no evidence – other than rumors online – that any survivors were trapped inside." Thus, we see how social media is being used erroneously in regards to the September earthquake in Mexico.

Living in the world today, it is interesting to say how significant of a role social media plays in our lives. For instance, if we compare the global catastrophes of today to the ones in the past centuries, one interesting difference that can be pointed out is there are more first-hand and reliable sources. Anyone has the power to share information regarding a crisis, to the world, simply by gaining access to a computer or cell phone. What is important is that we use this power correctly and for the greater good.